Law gives owners 5 years to make facade repairs.

If you own or manage a building higher than six stories, the next Local Law 11/98 cycle begins in three years. Repairs must be done by February of 2007, the final date for the next LL11 filing.

The number one priority for building owners/managers, says Hazel Ephron of WASA, should be remedying existing facade problems now as a way to avoid problems down the road.

"Owners can be penalized financially for not taking the appropriate measures," says Ephron, whose firm generates much business from LL11.

Her firm--WASA (short for Wank Adams Slavin Associates LLP)--prepares the LL11 reports for the owners and managers of buildings. In her tenure at WASA, Ephron has worked with Cushman & Wakefield, Insignia/ESG and Brown Harris Stevens among other firms.

"The earlier that a firm puts a repair out for bid, the better chances they have of getting a competitive quote," added Ephron.

Under the law, a building must undergo a scaffolding drop at least once every five years. The difference between LL10/80 and LL11 is that anything listed as needing maintenance and repairs must be fixed before the next cycle begins in 2005.

"It is very important that buildings don't wait until the last minute. In a lot of our buildings, (LL11 reports) are already over and done with," said Doug Weinstein, vice president of operations at Akam Associates which manages 90 buildings throughout the five boroughs.

"Structures in need of maintenance may pose a hazard to employees and passerby if left unresolved. Thus repairs should be completed as soon as they are detected," said Ephron.

Perhaps the most persuasive argument in favor of acting now rather than one year before the deadline is simply that your contractor should not be rushed.

"And the quality of the repairs are less likely to be compromised as a result. It's better to be safe than sorry," said Ephron.